portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Tuesday, October 01, 2024

Kris Kristofferson from The Prine Family

 


Fiona Whelan Prine posted this:

On behalf of the Prine family, we were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of John’s dear friend, Kris Kristofferson. Their friendship was made of magic, and Kris was the long time North Star for John. He was a beacon of light, a fierce talent and a gentle soul. Our hearts are with Lisa and his family…


Kris was an important character in John’s story. They first met when Steve Goodman convinced Kris to go hear John play in Chicago: “The chairs were on the tables, the waitresses were counting their tips, and I was waiting for my paycheck. And Kris came in with two other people. We got four chairs down and I got on the stage right in front of him and sang about seven songs. And then he bought me a beer and asked if I could get back up there and sing those seven again and anything else I wrote.” Kris then invited John to join him at his NYC show which led to John getting offered a record deal from Atlantic the next morning. The friendship between the two not only impacted John but every country artist after Kris and beyond. 


He was always happy to connect with those who admired him; we appreciate the time he took to speak with Fiona Prine’s mother Mary (super fan). Though he was a giant, he was incredibly warm and human. He will be missed.


“Kris did more for me than anyone, without looking for anything for himself. I always make a point of telling musicians, and other singer-songwriters, that at no time did Kris ever introduce me to his music publisher or record label. He introduced me to people who were good people, and let it fly from there. After being in the music business for 45 years, I can see how rare that is.” - JP


Happier times - we are gonna miss Kris like we miss John

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